Top 10 Places That Are Vegan-Friendly (Including a Guide Around Each City)
With the holiday season around the corner, you might be thinking about your next vacation destination. As we’ve discussed in many previous blog posts, food is one of the best ways to experience the culture of a geographic location. If you’ve been following our blog these past few weeks, you’re likely familiar with the benefits of a Vegan diet. As we’ve talked about, adhering to a vegan diet can be somewhat of a challenge when traveling, especially where the concept of veganism is still unheard of. However, there are a number of cities around the world where being vegan couldn’t be easier. Not only do these cities have an abundance of vegan restaurants, making it easy for vegans to find places to eat, but an enthusiasm for veganism is evident in the cultures of these cities. Discussed below are 10 of these vegan-friendly places.
Portland, OR
PETA named Portland the #1 most vegan-friendly city in the United States. It has a full vegan grocery store, high-end vegan restaurants, vegan bars, a vegan strip mall, and dare we say, even a vegan strip club. The city has 34 all-vegan restaurants.
Some favorite vegan spots in Portland include the Cherokee Rose Inn, an all-vegan bed and breakfast; Vtopian Cheese Shop & Deli, which has over 20 vegan cheeses and deli “meats”; Back to Eden Bakery; Homegrown Smoker Vegan BBQ; Farm Spirit; Blossoming Lotus; Portobello Vegan Trattoria; Petunia’s Pies & Pastries; Missionary Chocolates; and Voodoo Doughnut. For some food on the go, you can stop at Sonny Bowl, an all-vegan food truck that serves bowls, salads, and smoothies. Another spot to check out is the Herbivore Clothing Company, which has a section featuring vegan cookbooks and vegan lifestyle books.
New York, NY
New York City is one of the world’s most diverse cities in almost every sense of the word. This is also the case when it comes to vegan food. No matter what kind of food you’re craving, you are sure to find a vegan restaurant that will hit the spot.
If you’re in the mood for pizza, for example, check out Vinnie’s or 00 + Co. Feeling like a burger and fries? You can go to Superiority Burger or to Chloe’s, which has multiple locations throughout the city. For Asian Fusion, you can hit up Franchia Vegan Café, and for Latin fare, you can hit up VSPOT. If it’s French food you’re looking for, you can find it at Delice & Sarrasin. Other popular vegan restaurants are Red Bamboo, Candle 79, Cande Café, Dirt Candy, Pure Food & Wine, and Blossom. Chalk Point Kitchen is a favorite among celebrities and the elite of New York. And we haven’t even gotten to dessert yet. You can get vegan baked goods at Jennifer’s Way Bakery, Vegan Divas Bakery, Erin McKenna’s, and Babycakes, and you’ll find vegan ice cream at Gelato Giusto. The city hosts an annual Veggie Pride Parade every April.
Berlin, Germany
Berlin is considered the vegan capital of Europe, as it has more fully vegan restaurants (over 55) than any other European city.
You can enjoy high-end vegan dining at Lucky Leek and Kopps. For vegan pizza, some great spots are La Stella Nera and Sfizy Veg. Döner Kebabs are highly popular in Berlin, and vegans can also enjoy them at Vöner der Vegetarische Döner. For vegan burgers, Chaostheorie and Sun Day Burger are your can’t-miss joints. You’ll find vegan gourmet cakes at I Am Delicious and Velicious and vegan ice cream at Das Eisbärliner & Caramello. Other vegan hotspots include Helmholtzplatz, Neukolln, and Rawtastic.
Warschauer Straße in Berlin is nicknamed “the vegan avenue” because not only does it have numerous vegan restaurants, it also has a vegan shoe store and clothing store and a branch of the largest vegan supermarket chain in Europe. Berlin also has a restaurant called Culinary Misfits. A third of harvest is rejected each year because it doesn’t meet the “beauty standards of produce” (yes, that’s really a thing). Culinary Misfits takes that unwanted produce and uses it to make incredible vegan meals. Throughout the city, you’ll find advertisements for vegan restaurants and shops. Every August, Berlin hosts Veganes Sommerfest Berlin, which attracts 60,000 people a year. This vegan extravaganza features, games, music, a fashion show, and of course food.
Tel Aviv, Israel
Almost 1 in 20 Israelis identify as vegan, and this proportion is even higher in Tel Aviv. This is especially so in the neighborhoods of Florentin, King George, and Dizengoff. The city hosts Vegan-Fest Tel Aviv—the world’s largest vegan festival—every September. The city has 25 fully vegan restaurants, most of which serve a combination of Israeli, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean cuisine with some western influence. You’ll find falafels, a vegan Israeli staple, on pretty much every street corner, and vegan shawarma isn’t too hard to come by either.
Anastasia is a vegan café in Tel Aviv best known for its breakfasts. You can find vegan Ethiopian food at Tenat, vegan Indian food at Dosa Bar, vegan sushi at The Green Roll, and vegan pizza at Hatool HaYarok. Even the Domino’s Pizza in Tel Aviv includes vegan pizza on its menu. Tel Aviv is home to the world’s only fully vegan Georgian restaurant, Nanuchka. For fast food, you should head to HaShwarma HaTivonit or Goddess. And don’t forget to find vegan dessert at Seeds. Tel Aviv has a vegan grocery store called Taam L’Chaim and a vegan cooking school called Vegan Experience. City Tree is an ecology project in Tel Aviv that teaches city residents how to live a healthy and green lifestyle, hosts workshops on vegan nutrition and permaculture, and offers a space for vegans and non-vegans alike to socialize.
Taipei, Taiwan
The predominance of Buddhism in Taiwan lends itself well to a vegan diet. Taipei itself has over 30 completely vegan restaurants.
You’ll find vegan Western fusion at Mianto and vegan burgers at About Animals. For vegan gelato, make sure to stop by Nice Cream, and for other vegan sweets, check out Vegan Heaven and Hip Pun. For an upscale dining experience, head over to Fruitful Food, which offers a meat-free international buffet. The popular chain Loving Hut has several locations in Taipei. Other popular vegan joints in Taipei include Easy House Vegetarian Cuisine, Ooh Cha Cha, Plants, and Universe Café.
Singapore
From the minute you land in Singapore, you’ll feel at ease if you’re a vegan. Singapore Changi Airport has more vegan options than most other major airports.
One of the first stops for vegetarians and vegans should be Fortune Centre. Almost all the restaurants and cafes in this 4-story mall are vegetarian, and some of them are fully vegan. Most of the vegan restaurants in Singapore are Asian fusion, though there are also some western-inspired vegan burger restaurants, such and NomVnom and Veganburg. You can also go to Original Sin for vegan Mediterranean food. Brownice is a popular spot for vegan ice cream, and it also serves vegan pizza and breakfast foods. Another spot for vegan ice cream is Smoocht. Given that Singapore has such a large South Asian population, you’ll find plenty of vegan and vegetarian Indian restaurants.
London, UK
Similar to New York, London is a hub for ethnically diverse vegan food. The city has 79 fully vegan restaurants.
Some popular spots include Vegan Hippo for burgers, PickyWops for pizza, Fed by Water for Italian, The Temple of Hackney for fried “chicken,” Itadki Zen for Japanese, Zionly Manna for Caribbean, Andu Caffe for Ethiopian, Dou Dou-Qing for Asian fusion, and Ms. Cupcake and Vida Bakery for dessert. There are also some fully vegan supermarkets, including Organic for the People and GreenBay. Even many of the pubs offer meatless and raw food options. Foodie Sara Mittersteiner runs a vegan street food market stall every weekend at Boiler House on Brick Lane as well as cooking classes and a vegan supper club from her home. If you want to spoil yourself at a vegan hair salon (i.e. a hair salon whose products do not involve animals), book yourself an appointment at The Rabbit Hole Vegan Hair Parlour.
Glasgow, Scotland
Glasgow has been voted the most vegan-friendly city in the UK. You can enjoy vegan haggis at Saramgao Café and vegan tapas at Stereo. Another popular vegan spot is Mono. Both Stereo and Mono are also performance spaces. You can also enjoy vegan Vietnamese food at the Hanoi Bike Shop—a favorite restaurant among the locals. Most of the pubs in Glasgow offer meatless fare. Perhaps the most popular vegan-friendly pub in Glasgow is the Flying Duck.
Chennai, India
Chennai is located in South India, which some consider the ancient birthplace of vegetarianism. While much of North Indian cooking (which most people around the world think of when they think of “Indian food”) relies heavily on clarified butter, South Indian cuisine relies more on coconut milk, rice, and legumes. Nonetheless, some South Indian dishes might include eggs or dairy. In any case, you won’t have any trouble finding fully vegan restaurants in Chennai.
For high-end Indian cuisine, the Royal Vega at the ITC Grand Chola Hotel is an excellent option. Other popular vegan restaurants in Chennai include Ashoka, Murugan Idli Shop, and Mainland China.
Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver is home to The Acorn, a renowned and award-winning vegan restaurant. Other spots to check out in Vancouver are Bandidas for vegan Mexican food, Dharma Kitchen for burgers, and Wallflower Modern Diner and Heirloom Vegetarian for pretty much anything you might be craving. Yew is a famous seafood restaurant located in the Four Seasons Hotel, and its menu has an extensive vegan section.
For cruelty-free shopping during your Vancouver trip, visit Nice Shoes. Vancouver’s beautiful parks and greenery make it a fantastic place to become one with nature and the food that it provides you.
Have you been to any of these places, want to visit, or have more to add? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you can talk about it on Konversai. Konversai is the world’s first global knowledge marketplace that allows for one-on-one live video conversations between anyone, anywhere, about anything. Konversai believes that everybody, no matter who they are or where they come from, has valuable knowledge, skills, and experiences that can be of benefit to other people. The platform brings together providers of knowledge with seekers of knowledge on any topic of interest, and both leave the interaction having gained something. All users are encouraged to be both providers of knowledge and seekers of knowledge on any and as many topics as they wish—no matter how seemingly commonplace or obscure. Knowledge providers are also encouraged to charge as much as they wish for their time. If they don’t need the money, they can hold sessions for free or donate their earnings to a charity of their choice. By joining Konversai, you are helping to democratize knowledge, put the human connection back into the heart of technology, and make the world better by enabling meaningful and authentic conversations. Sign up today!
Written by: Pavita Singh
Sources:
- Chandra, Amit. (2016). World’s Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Travel Destinations. Travel Triangle.
- Dermody, K.C. (2017). 17 of the Best Destinations for Vegan/Vegetarian Travelers. Trips to Discover.
- Happy Cow. (2017). 10 Top Vegan Cities in the World.
- Levius, Travis. (2017). The best cities for vegans around the world. CNN Travel.
- The Daily Meal. The 9 Best Destinations for Vegan Travelers Slideshow.
- Warkentin, Elizabeth. (2017). Top 10 Cities for Vegan Travelers. Independent.
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